


The Caged Bird

by arochilton



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Brownham, M/M, an excuse for brownham fluff, and talk about fishing and dogs and hawk metaphors, does this fandom even read things that aren't smut?, excessive use of matthew saying "mister graham", fluff fluff fluff, he's filling in for my darling dearest chilton, if you're actually reading these tags i'm really sorry, oh and there's an original character but he doesn't talk, this is only fluff, with a little bit of chilton-related angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:43:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arochilton/pseuds/arochilton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will visits Matthew in prison.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Caged Bird

_“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill_  
 _of things unknown but longed for still_  
 _and his tune is heard on the distant hill_  
 _for the caged bird sings of freedom.”_

Will Graham’s feet carry him down the vexatious hallways of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He keeps his head held high, determined not to let the location faze him. It’s been two weeks since freedom was bestowed upon him, but the irony is not lost in Will’s mind. He walks now, a man made free, but still feels cursed, especially inside these walls.  
It had been a conscious choice, visiting Matthew Brown today. He has come alone; there is no reason for Jack or Hannibal to accompany him. Will likes Matthew, even after only a few fleeting conversations; there was something about the slender orderly he's drawn to, despite the fact that he is psychotic. But then again, aren’t we all?  
The temporary director, Nick Graz, had tried to make small talk with Will when he walked in. He is obviously intrigued by the empath, and Will was reminded of his first meeting with Dr. Chilton in that same office. Graz is filling in for Chilton until, presumably, the time came when the allegations against the former chief in staff are dropped or deemed false. Will has done what he could, or at least tried to. There is no convincing Jack when the evidence said otherwise. Even while lying in a coma with a hole in his cheek, Chilton is still being accused of committing Hannibal Lecter’s crimes. He would have a lot to answer to when he woke up. He might even be placed in the care of this very hospital. Irony is the truest form of paradox, Will thinks as he comes to a halt, reaching Matthew’s cell—the cell that had, just thirteen days prior, been occupied by Will Graham himself.  
Matthew has apparently heard Will’s footfalls, because he is already peering through the bars, though still seated on the cot. His lean face breaks into a snarky but genuine smile, and his voice drips with warmness when he says, “Mister Graham.”  
Will can’t suppress the beginnings of a smile. “Hello, Matthew.”  
“You got a haircut,” Matthew remarks, standing up. Will revels in his change of clothing; his immaculate white uniform has, of course, has been traded for a teal jumpsuit Will knows all too well. The white had shrouded him in his disguise, but here he stands, exposed in his true colors. “Looks nice,” Will stares evenly at him through the bars. Matthew steps closer, peering at Will intently. “I did like the curls, though,” he murmurs, pacing along the length of the cell.  
This action triggers a pang of guilt in the criminal profiler, as he had been doing the same thing quite often not that long ago. “I’m sorry, Matthew,” Will says, and he’s not even sure why he does. Of course, if he hadn’t asked Matthew to kill Hannibal, he probably wouldn’t be here right now. But then again, Matthew might not have been able to hide, a killer in the shadows, forever.  
“That’s alright, Mister Graham,” Matthew says, dipping his head. “It’s not your fault.”  
Will watches him, gazes at him. He’s so interested in this man; can’t help himself.  
“So you’re not the Chesapeake Ripper,” Matthew says. “It seems that I was admiring someone else’s work entirely, save Garrett Jacob Hobbs’s death.”  
Will twitches.  
“I still admire you, Mister Graham,” Matthew says, stepping to the edge of the cell.  
“Is that so?” Will raises an eyebrow.  
Matthew nods, dimples cornering a sly smile. “You were innocent…more innocent than any of us, yet were locked up in here. If there were ever a bird destined to fly free, it’s you, Mister Graham.”  
“You can’t enjoy being in here,” Will says.  
Matthew just shrugs. “Who knows,” he muses. “Maybe I’ll have someone to kill a bailiff at my trial. Hannibal Lecter, perhaps?”  
“Hannibal Lecter doesn’t work for anybody,” Will remarks. “Nor does he perform favors for anyone else.”  
“True,” Matthew replies. “He seemed to be that way. Suppose that’s the Ripper’s design.”  
Will rubs his chin with his hand, echoes of scruff scratching at his fingers. Matthew tilts his head, his lips pursed, something Will can recall him doing multiple times before.  
“How’s Chilton?” asks Matthew.  
“You heard?”  
Matthew nods. “I heard the guards talking. Guess nobody’s recording our conversations now, huh?”  
“I wouldn’t put it past Graz,” Will grumbles. “But it’s not like he has any reason to.”  
“I would say that the doctor deserved it,” Matthew says coldly, “but if you ask me, you and I are more likely to be the Chesapeake Ripper than he is.”  
Will narrows his eyes but doesn’t reply.  
“I missed you, Mister Graham,” Matthew’s eyes are wide as he shifts his weight back and forth.  
Will stares at him. “You barely knew me, Matthew.”  
“I enjoyed tending to you. Bringing you your food, catering to your needs, letting you out of your cell...” Matthew looks at the floor. “That was the only time we’ve both been out of our cages.”  
“We never escape these cages, Matthew. Hannibal has made sure of that, until the day he’s the one leering at me from behind bars.”  
“The caged bird sings of freedom,” Matthew recites.  
This draws a laugh out of Will. “What is it with you and birds, Matthew?”  
The former orderly grins sheepishly. “We’re hawks, Mister Graham, remember?” he steps even closer to the edge of the cell; as close as he possibly can. His face is inches from Will’s. “Soaring above everyone else, doing whatever we please. Imagine what we could do, the two of us, together. Imagine it.”  
“And what do you want us to do?” Will pries.  
Matthew’s eyes flit closed. “Oooh, Mister Graham,” the soft words fly from his lips as his hands lace around the bars of his cell. “We could do so many things. What do you like to do?”  
“I like dogs,” Will says matter-of-factly. “and fishing.”  
“See, Mister Graham? You could teach me how to fish. Bring your dogs to a nice cabin on a lake, set up a campfire and make s’mores…”  
“Matthew…”  
“I like you quite a lot, Mister Graham, and this cage isn’t going to stop that from being true,” Matthew stares into Will’s eyes. The empath’s breathing is shaky; he’s obviously not entirely sure what to do.  
It happens in a fleeting second. Matthew leans as far out as possible and lightly presses his lips to Will’s. Will just stands there, lets the kiss happen, until he hears the shouts of guards yelling “no touching!” as their feet tap the floor as they hit the ground running.  
“Yeah, no touching,” Will whispers to Matthew, cupping the prisoner’s face in his hands and kissing him back.  
“Get off him!” yells a guard, grabbing Will’s arms and pulling them behind his back, dragging him away from the cell.  
“Back up,” Will hears another guard tell Matthew as he cranes his neck to see. Matthew lifts a hand, grinning, and winks at Will.  
Will’s heart is still pounding, but not because he’s being escorted out of his former prison.  
Imagine what we could do, Matthew’s voice still rings in his head.  
With the fiery of the kiss still on his lips, Will imagines it.

**Author's Note:**

> I was torn between writing fluff or smut and somehow I ended up here. After rewatching Mukozuke, I needed to do something with this ship. I was also super inspired by these adorable Brownham cosplayers at WonderCon who started making out and they were just overall really cute.  
> I'm mainly a Hannigram shipper, but I love Matthew and Will and I love them together.  
> Maybe one day I'll upgrade to smut.  
> fredschilton.tumblr.com


End file.
